Published
Travel Log 11: Returning to Pennsylvania
Facing the cold winter again
Returning to Pennsylvania so soon after we’ve left wasn’t exactly on our agenda. But Katie’s grandfather’s health has been declining since we left and took a sudden turn. We decided that it would be best if we returned to have the opportunity to be with him and the rest of our family again.
Table of contents
- Leaving New Mexico
- Frozen Pennsylvania
- Visiting with Family
- A Bit of a Scare
- Headed for Warmer Weather
Leaving New Mexico
The trek back from New Mexico was less than ideal. It took us 3 days to travel the 1,700 miles back to PA. But we made it back safely and settled in with my parents for part of the week.
Frozen Pennsylvania
Back in PA was a bit of a shock to our systems as the average temperature for our stay was around 20 degrees. Much colder and snowier than our last few stays!
Despite the cold we were able to reduce the amount of stuff we were carrying with us and repacked everything much more comfortably.
Visiting with Family
We got to spend some quality time with both sides of our family during our stay. Half the trip we spent at my parents’ home and the rest of it we crashed in the basement of our old neighbor’s house (and at this point she might as well be family too!).
A Bit of a Scare
While getting ready for church on Sunday our eldest daughter (9) inexplicably collapsed while my wife was curling her hair. She passed out for a moment but quickly came back. Since she’s never done this before we took her to the hospital. They did a couple of test and sent her home without any explanation. We decided to take her to our family doctor where they ran some blood work.
So far the tests came back clean and nothing has been found to be wrong with her. We are going to be scheduling a EEG to rule out seizures, but the doctor believes that she may just be more prone to passing out as she has passed out from the sight of blood before. Hopefully this isn’t indicative of a larger issue, but since then she has been fine.
Headed for Warmer Weather
Once we said our goodbyes we headed out on a 5-day, 2,500 mile trip to California. We had some non-refundable Airbnbs and tickets to Disneyland or we would have chosen a closer destination. At each bathroom stop we kept our minds set on the sunny shores of CA to keep out the bitter cold.
Half-way through our journey we took a break in Oklahoma City. It was very cold when we arrived (if only we had come the week after the weather would have been nicer!). But we did get to enjoy an escape room at Red Door Escape Room.
We’ve gone to the Red Door location in Fort Worth and had a really good time. It was the same for their OKC location. We did a circus themed room and managed to escape without needing any hints and with plenty of time to spare! We highly recommend them if you get a change to go. With locations across the country, you may find one near you or your next vacation!
